(Kim Min-hee/Pool Photo via AP)SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – There’s relief among South Korean and Japanese diplomats after the two countries announced an “irreversible” settlement of a decades-long standoff over Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japan’s World War II military.
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During talks in the South Korean capital, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida also relayed the apparently heartfelt remorse of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe – who was previously accused of trying to whitewash history.
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“He appreciates President Park Geun-Hye of the Republic of Korea and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan for their leadership and vision for the betterment of the relationship between the two countries”, said a statement from Ban’s spokesman.
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South Korean officials were to meet with former wartime sex slaves to seek their support for a landmark deal with Japan, after criticism it does not properly atone for the treatment of women forced into WWII army brothels.
Historians estimate that more than 200,000 women, mostly from Korea, were forced to work in front-line brothels for Japanese soldiers during World War II.
One of the women said Monday that she would accept the deal reluctantly because she knew the South Korean government made efforts to settle the issue.
“Unfortunately for these women, Japan has often denied responsibility and blamed their suffering on war”.
Kishida, Japan’s foreign minister, said that the money that was offered in the agreement is not a legal reparation, and the agreement was not clear as to whether Japan’s acknowledgment of the sex slaves was a legal or moral one.
“This is an historic apology for an historic wrong by Japan”, said Chu, D-Monterey Park. South Korea agreed to end the dispute once and for all if Japan fully implements the deal. Park, who had refused to hold a summit meeting with Abe until last month, had repeatedly urged Japan to address the grievances of comfort women before relations could improve.
All in all, the deal came as good news to the US which has been eager to see the two regional democracies establish better relations to create an unified front against the growing nuclear threat from North Korea.
Dr Caroline Norma is a lecturer in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University and author of The Japanese comfort women and sexual slavery during the China and Pacific wars (Bloomsbury, 2016).
Japan has apologised and will pay 1bn yen ($8.3m) to the South Korean government to provide for the psychological and physical needs of the 46 surviving South Korean women.
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“The Japanese side’s initial response was that it understands Taiwan’s stance on the matter and is willing to take Taiwan’s request into consideration”, Lin said.
